Real Madrid eliminated Manchester City from the Champions League on Tuesday night, footage of an odd post-match altercation involving Antonio Rudiger and Pep Guardiola surfaced.
Despite being behind 3-0 during the first leg at the Bernabeu last week, Man City put on a strong show against the 15-time European winners. However, Bernardo Silva’s straight red card for using his arm to stop a goal-bound attempt ended their chances of a spectacular comeback after just 20 minutes of the second leg.
Vinicius Junior clinched Real Madrid’s position in the Champions League quarter-finals by scoring 4-0 on aggregate from the penalty spot. Before halftime, Erling Haaland tied the score, but just before the final whistle, Vini Jr. scored his second goal of the evening to seal a 2-1 victory (5-1 overall).
After the game, Guardiola shook hands with the Real Madrid players on the Etihad Stadium field, but when he approached Rudiger, things took an unexpected turn. The German defender had to be taken away by his own manager, Alvaro Arbeloa, since he was clearly displeased with the Manchester City manager.
Pep Guardiola admits harsh reality after Real Madrid defeat
Guardiola took a time to thank Alvaro Arbeloa, the manager of Real Madrid, despite the disappointment. Guardiola did not hold back in his evaluation of the Spaniard, who is still in the early stages of his managing career but has already made an effect.
“Well, I enjoyed him. He’s off to a fantastic start, displaying a lot of skill and connecting well with his teammates. “He’s made a great impression; I think he’ll have a long career.” Guardiola suggested another name, although Real Madrid has frequently been perceived as his greatest challenge in Europe, particularly for City.
“Klopp has been my hardest obstacle. You were in Spain and were unaware of what it was like. “With our generation, we were more than a match for Madrid to play against them so frequently. “Statistically, we’ve been on par; we’ve both won.” They’ve eliminated us more frequently, but based on our performance, I believe they are also aware of it,” he said.
